This delicious Granola is crunchy, spiced and to top it all off grain free, sugar free and dairy free. The minimization of these foods is a great way to reset by decreasing inflammation and irritation in the gut. If you are experiencing anything from bloating, breakouts or even painful periods, minimizing sugar, reducing grains and increasing healthy fats is a wonderful way to rebalance digestion and reduce those symptoms.

This recipe has a tasty pumpkin spice vibe going on, getting its sweetness from the warm spices and roasted sweet potato and the addition of lucuma powder, which adds a lovely natural maple sweetness, plus loads of antioxidants. I like to add this granola on top of some yogurt, or to dress up a salad or even just a handful as a snack ...believe me it will be hard to resist.

INGREDIENTS

1 Medium- Large Sweet Potato (1 ½ cups chopped)

1 Tbs Coconut Oil melted

1 Tbs Tahini

½ tsp Allspice

½ tsp Ground Ginger

¼ tsp fresh Nutmeg

1 heaping tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Lucuma powder

2 tsp Vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

1 ½ cups Coconut Flakes

½ cup Ground Almonds ( any nut flour works, tigernut, coconut)

¾ cup Sliced Almonds

¾ cup Pecans

¾ cup Pumpkin Seeds

½ cup Sunflower Seeds

½ cup Cashews

¼ cup ground Flax

½ tsp Grated Orange Zest

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking tray with parchment, silpat or grease the surface with a bit of coconut oil.

Chop and steam the sweet potato until soft, about 15 minutes for the quick option, or roast the full potato in the oven for a more concentrated flavor.

Once cooked add the sweet potato to a blender or food processor along with melted coconut oil, tahini, spices, lucuma powder, vanilla and salt. Add about a ½ cup of water as you blend, making sure not to make the mixture too wet, this allows it to blend easier and cool faster.

As the purée cools in the blender, mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; combine coconut flakes, sliced and ground almonds, cashews, pecans, seeds and zest together.

Add the blended wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well to combine, all ingredients should be evenly coated with the spiced sweet potato purée.

Spread the granola in a thin layer on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Make sure to watch the bake, as temperatures vary oven to oven. After 20 minutes remove and flip the granola, you will notice it is still quite moist.

Return the pan to the oven, making sure to leave the door open a crack, I find a traditional cork or wooden spoon is perfect for keeping the top of the oven door ajar. Continue to bake for another 30 minutes, flipping again half way, until the granola is golden and crunchy.

Remove from the oven, place sheet on cooling wrack and allow mixture to cool completely before storing in airtight container. This granola will last up to 2 weeks, but my guess is it’ll be enjoyed before then.

Serve with coconut yogurt and pomegranate seeds for a wintery treat, or enjoy tossed with a marinated kale salad.